Bill Biava

First post:
Apr 15, 2016 Latest post:
Apr 25, 2016

Hello Everyone,

Bill was diagnosed with Stage IV appendix cancer in June2014. It is a very aggressive cancer that had already spread to all his abdominal organs by the time he was diagnosed. He had 6 months of chemo, then surgery to remove over 30 tumors, colon resections, etc. followed by another 12 sessions of chemo in 2015. He had many complications to fight along the way.

This past February he had been given a clear CT scan and finally felt good enough to take a cruise to the Panama Canal (as an engineer, it was definitely on his bucket list). We had to leave the ship on a medical emergency evacuation after just 2 days because he couldn’t keep liquids or food down. When we returned home for what we hoped was going to be a minor procedure, we learned the cancer was back and that his abdomen was filled with tumors. He has been in and out of the hospital since then. After several procedures in trying to repair various problems to various organs, due to the many tumors that have grown since, on April 7 he was released to go home to Hospice Care.

Bill is very happy to be home with his remote control and all our recorded shows. His daughter, Daria is here with little grand-daughter, Lily and my girls and their kids are here to help their beloved step-father / grandfather day and night so he is surrounded by love and care, and, just maybe, too much commotion. He is not in any pain.

While he chooses to be on TPN (IV nutrition), which is considered a life-extending measure, hospice care can't officially begin. His visiting nurse knows (as do we) the signs to look for when the fluids are doing more harm than good, and at that point he will discontinue the fluids. Hospice is set up and ready, and will be called in immediately at that time, or if he starts to have any pain. But for now, if he can have more days or even another week of feeling as “good” he does, he will take it!

I or other family members will update you all here as things change. Thank you for your support, and help, and well wishes. It helps to know we have an army of loving friends out there when we need them.